1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns a generally useful kairomone and kill-bait containing insect trap for capturing insect in general and corn rootworm and other related insects feeding of and destroying Diabrotica, corn, peanut and leafy vegetable crops in particular. The trap comprises four major components: a top dome, a capture reservoir and a kairomone lure container attached externally to the top dome and an internally placed kill-bait. The trap additionally comprises means for attachment or emplacement of the trap in the field. The trap is useful for monitoring the infestation of the field and for killing the insect.
2. Background of the Invention
Flying insect in general and corn rootworm in particular poses a serious economic problem for Diabrotica, corn, peanuts and leafy vegetable crops.
Twenty-one million acres of corn are treated annually in many mid-western states with soil-applied preventative insecticides for controlling Western and/or Northern corn rootworm. Thousands of additional acres of corn, peanuts and leafy vegetables are attacked by two other rootworm species, the Southern and Mexican rootworm and also require similar treatments. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that only about 30% of these treatments with insecticides are justified from an economic loss point of view. Moreover, for a variety of reasons, only a small portion of these treatments is successful because of the poor administration of the insecticide or because of the resistance the insect has developed toward the insecticide.
Monitoring of the infestation prior to the treatment with insecticides is difficult as there are currently no available suitable and practical monitoring devices.
Iowa State University and the USDA have correlated corn rootworm adult capture rates from PHEROCON(copyright) AM/NB yellow glue coated cards to counts of adults found on plants and these numbers have been then correlated to larval root pruning damage in corn. Currently, such monitoring is done almost solely by the PHEROCON(copyright) AM/NB yellow glue coated cards which, due mainly to inconvenience in their use, have been poorly received and were never adopted in any practical way.
Results of this correlation shows that the capture of corn rootworm using PHEROCON(copyright) AM/NB yellow glue coated cards is poor and, therefore, that some other methods of trapping, capture and monitoring of the corn rootworm and other similar insect are needed in order to reduce labor connected with field monitoring, time spent by consultants or pest control advisors on such monitoring and to predict, with high accuracy, the insect population and degree of infestation.
It would, therefore, be important and advantageous to have available a convenient and practical insect trap which would permit monitoring of flying insect, such as corn rootworm and related species, which would comprise specific means to attract and capture the insect and also monitor its number in order to determine whether additional treatment with insecticides is needed.
Many methods for prevention of insect infestation and crop destruction of corn, peanuts and leafy vegetables by corn rootworm or related insects were recently devised. Such methods for controlling corn rootworm include treatments with pathogens, the use of various chemicals and insect growth regulators, insect sex pheromones and other behavior modifying semiochemicals. Various insect traps have been devised which lure the insects, poison the insects, suffocate the insects and/or remove insects from the stored products using any of the above means.
The current invention provides a generally useful insect trap particularly suitable for capture of corn rootworm and other flying insect, said trap comprising several novel features making it extraordinarily practical and effective for capturing and monitoring the flying insect, particularly corn rootworm and other related insects feeding of and destroying corn, peanuts and leafy vegetable crops.
All patents, patent applications or publications cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference.
One aspect of the current invention concerns a corn rootworm insect trap comprising a kairomone lure and/or kill-bait for capturing and killing the insect, particularly flying insect such as corn rootworm and other related insects which feed on and destroy Diabrotica, corn, peanuts and leafy vegetables.
Another aspect of the current invention is an insect trap which comprises a capture top dome, a capture reservoir, a container containing a kairomone to lure the insects to the trap and a kill-bait to kill the insects.
Still another aspect of the current invention is an insect trap suitable for capture of flying insect, said trap comprising of a top dome forming an upper portion of the trap containing in its upper center a kill-bait insertion slot for insertion of the kill-bait pill, said top dome further comprising locking and stop tabs of the locking device, and a capture reservoir forming a lower portion of the trap comprising a circumferential rim for locking the locking tabs of the top dome and effectively locking the capture reservoir to the top dome. Both the top dome and the capture reservoir are connected in such a fashion that the capture reservoir easily snaps into the top dome by engagement of the rim with the locking tabs of the top dome. Locking tabs, in cooperation with the stop tabs present on the top dome, control the size of the annular opening delineating the entryway for the insect into the trap. The trap additionally comprises of a separate kairomone lure component attached externally to the top dome. The kairomone lure is inserted into a female insertion slot positioned on the exterior surface of the top dome.
Still yet another aspect of the current invention are attachment means permitting the field stake to be inserted into a socket indented within the bottom of the capture reservoir and/or wire hanger to be inserted into attachment means extending upwardly as a protuberant top hanger from the center of the top dome.
Still yet another aspect of the current invention is a kill-bait pill for insertion within the kill-bait insertion slot positioned internally in the center upper part of the top dome, which kill-bait typically consists of a pill containing a mixture of cucurbitacin feeding stimuli with a carbaryl insecticide formulated in paraffin, such as in 60%, by volume, of paraffin of a melting point above 160xc2x0 F.
Yet another aspect of the current invention is a kairomone lure holder which comprises a lure placed withing the lure holder sealed with a laminated seal consisting of an inner layer of plastic and an outer layer of foil.
Another aspect of the invention concerns the insect trap of the invention comprising solely a kill-bait without the kairomone lure.
Another aspect of the current invention is a method for capture of flying insect by means of the trap of the invention wherein the kairomone lure comprises an insect specific kairomone which lures the insect into the trap, for killing the insect with the kill-bait pill placed internally within the kill-bait insertion slot in the upper center of the top dome, and for monitoring the degree of infestation by counting the number of captured and killed insects present in the capture reservoir. The capture reservoir snaps into the top dome of the trap and can be easily opened, removed, emptied, exchanged or substituted for inspection or maintenance.
Yet another aspect of the current invention is a method for monitoring a number of insect infesting a crop field, said method comprising steps:
(a) luring the insect to the insect trap with an insect specific kairomone lure;
(b) luring the insects into the trap with kill-bait comprising cucurbitacin and an insecticide;
(c) capturing the dead insect in the capture reservoir; and
(d) counting the number of captured and killed insect and expressing the number per day/week/month or any other selected period of time.